


Crumpled Papers

by Semi_problematic



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 13:38:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12300255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semi_problematic/pseuds/Semi_problematic
Summary: "How do you know you're in love?" Eddie blurted out, his hands pressed flat against the lunch table."Uh.." Stan cleared his throat. "I just always thought.. you knew.""That doesn't help him at all." Beverly sighed. She reached out and put her hand over Eddies. "If you think about them all the time and wanna get married to them and live your life with them, then that's love."





	Crumpled Papers

It was lunch time, Eddie and Bill making it to the table first. Eddie unpacked his lunch, slowly, setting everything up in front of him while Bill just reached into his own lunch bag and pulled out something and began to eat. It was silent between them but it almost always was at lunch time. Beverly and Richie is what make it loud, along with Stan complaining and Ben talking about the newest book he had started reading. Bill wasn't always quiet, sometimes he would talk about a new magic trick Stan taught him or what he did in science, but most of the time he was quiet.

So was Eddie and it wasn't because he was left out or felt unwelcome. He just liked watching them all be happy. Ever since the stuff with Pennywise ended Eddie paged more attention to how everyone felt. How happy or sad or mad and for what reasons. 

But today was different. Today Eddie had realized something while he was sitting in his second hour. Eddie was taking notes as the teacher lectured them on the different ways to divide something. Then it happened. Richie tossed his head back in laughter and it hit Eddie like a ton of bricks. He was in love. At least that's what he thought it was. The way he thought about Richie wasn't the same way friends thought about each other. He was almost 100% sure that friends didn't daydream about kissing and dating each other.

But Richie? Really? His best friend since he was nine. It couldn't be. Richie was attractive, anyone with a workiny set of eyes could see that but that wasn't the weird thing. The weird thing was the jealousy Eddie felt in the pit of his stomach when Richie would flirt with someone else or when someone else made Richie laugh. Or how the best part of Eddies day was whenever Richie came over and read comic books with him. That couldn't mean anything, right? 

"How do you know you're in love?" Eddie blurted out, his hands pressed flat against the lunch table.

"Uh.." Stan cleared his throat. "I just always thought.. you knew."

"That doesn't help him at all." Beverly sighed. She reached out and put her hand over Eddies. "If you think about them all the time and wanna get married to them and live your life with them, then that's love."

"That's too long term." Richie replied, shoving Bevs hand away. "If you wanna spend time with them and they're the funniest person ever. That's love." Richie gave him a thumbs up. "Who's the luc-"

"I think it's w-when you would do an-an-anything for the person." Bill stated, cutting Eddie off. "And they just.. a-always make you s-smile even though it gets r-really bad."

Richie groaned. "You guys are getting too romantic. It's not about the bad days and the good days. It's about days. If you wanna see them at the end of the day, no matter what kinda day you had, that's love." 

Beverly rolled her eyes. "Don't listen to Richie, Eddie, he's never even kissed anyone."

"I have!" Richie shouted, whipping around and looking at Beverly.

"Your pillow doesn't count, Richard." Stan hissed before he began to laugh. 

The others began to chat while Ben leaned over towards Eddie, nudging him with his elbow. Eddie glanced at him, wide eyed. 

"Love is just.. it's a warm feeling. And it's nice.. and it's like.. when you meet the person the bad stuff doesn't matter anymore cuz you got them and they're like your best friend and someone you wanna marry and be with all the time." Ben babbled, his cheeks turning pink. "And like.. It's like you have been together forever because everything feels so right and natrual. And Richie is right, as much as I hate to say it, the kinda day doesn't matter when it all comes down to it because you got them and that makes it better, even if it's just a bit."

Eddie swallowed and nodded, looking at Ben. "Um.. thanks." He looked down at his food, poking at his sandwich. "I just.. a lots going on and I don't really.. get it." 

"Its fine." Ben patted his back. "If you ever need anything just tell me." 

"I might need something so thanks.. in advance I mean."

"No problem.." Ben had crinkles by his eyes because he was smiling so big. "In advance."

An hour passed. Eddie sat through history class and doodled in his notebook the entire time. He tried his hardest to pay attention but nothing worked. All he could think about was Richie. Was he really in love with him? It felt like it now that everyone talked about what love felt like. But did Richie love him? In the more than friendship way? He always heard people complain about their crush not liking them back. Would that happen? Should he even tell Richie? 

Eddie almost ran out of history. He rushed down the hall, bumping into people as he went, running up the stairs, taking two at a time. By the time he made it to his English classroom he was panting and his cheeks were red. Thankfully, Ben was already in there, his notebook open to a new blank page, a pen sitting in the binding of the book.

He sat down next to him, leaning over. "Ben!" 

Ben glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "Eddie?"

"You wrote Bev a love letter right?" Eddie opened up his backpack and pulled out a notebook and a pencil, slamming it down on the desk.

"I wouldn't really call it a love letter. It was a poem, honestly.." His cheeks were pink. "Long story short, I did. Why?"

"I need to write one for someone but I don't know how." Eddie grabbed his arm. "Can you write it for me?"

"I mean, I guess." Ben pulled his hand away, laughing nervously.  "Is everything alright?"

"I'm just a little.. I don't know, freaked out? Excited?" Eddie lowered his voice. "I'm in love." He whispered. 

"Okay.. so.. what do you want the note to say?"

"I want it to talk about his eyes and his jokes and his voice and everything. Is that good, to talk about everything?" 

"It's sweet. Just give me more detail." Ben began to write on his notebook while Eddie listed off details and other things that he loved about Richie. 

A love note turned into a two page essay that Ben had to give to Richie once the last bell of the day rang. That way Eddie would be around when he read it and see his reaction. He didn't sign his name on the letter, it was easier that way. If Richie likes him back he could say it was him and if he doesn't like it Eddie doesn't have to admit it was him. It was fool proof.

Eddie couldn't wait for the end of the day to come. He bounced his leg so quickly in his last hour that his leg ached by the time the bell rang. Eddie rushed out of his class and ran down the hall, glancing around to any of the other Losers. He was the last one outside and the sight of Richie holding the folded pieces of paper in his hand made Eddies heart race and stomach tighten.

"Eddie!" Richie called, waving the papers around. "Ben told me that someone had him write a love letter to me."

"Isn't it surprising?" Stan asked, crossing his arms and checking his watch.

Beverly elbowed him. "Read it outloud. I wanna know everything it says.. unless it gets personal than just skip over those parts."

"Yeah, h-h-hurry up and read it." Bill grinned. "I gotta k-know."

Richie pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, clearing his throat. "First thing it says is, Ben wrote all of this down but the words are from the admirer blah blah blah. Basically Ben doesn't have a crush on me they just wanted it in his handwriting so I didn't figure it out. I'm a great detective, ya know?"

"Whatever." Eddie mumbled. "Just keep reading it." 

Richie nodded. "Okay.. so.. wow, it's hard to put all these feelings in words. It's like you feel like a sunrise or stepping into a warm house in the middle of winter. I could have just said you make me feel good, I don't know, I'm trying to be poetic like Ben but it isn't working. Anyway.." Richie looked around. "I wanna kiss you and hold your hand and I don't like it when you flirt with Beverly or Stan or Bill, even though I know it's a joke." 

Eddies face went pale. He just gave himself away. The only three left were Ben, Mike, and himself. Mike was homeschooled and Ben already said it wasn't him. Eddie rubbed his arm nervsouly.

"I know you probably won't like me and that really sucks but I don't wanna lose you. You're like my best friend and I really can't lose you. You make me happy all the time no matter how bad my day is and you always make me laugh. Despite what I say, I really do think you're the funniest person ever. You're really smart, too, and I love it. I love everything about you, though. But back to the smarts, you never give yourself any credit for being smart. You get As and Bs, that's amazing!"

Beverly grinned. "You're a smartass."

Richie flipped her off. "According to this guy I'm a genius."

"He didn't say that." Stan sighed.

"I really like it when you mess with me and pinch my cheeks and call me all those weird pet names guys usually call their girlfriends. I wanna be your girlfriend but like the male version of that.. oh, wait, there's word for that. Boyfriend. Yeah, Richie, I wanna be your boyfriend. Ain't that weird? I wanna like marry you. Wow. Oh my god. I'm in love with you. I still can't believe it. Oh my god. It's so crazy. Today in Math I just like.. figured it all out and now everything is different but its like a good different." Richie bit his lip. "I think whoever had Ben write this was having a breakdown because they're like... freaking out."

"Leave them alone!" Beverly scolded. "Finish up the note."

"Anyway, bottom line Richie, I'm in love with you and it's really scary and I don't know what to do but I do know that if you love me back it won't be scary anymore because.. well.. nothing is as scary when I'm with you. Love, secret admirer."

"They didn't s-sign their name?" Bill asked, peeking over Richies shoulder.

"No. They said they wanted to keep it a secret because Richie might not like them back." Ben stated.

Richie tossed the papers over his shoulder and Eddie swore his heart broke so loud that everyone could hear it. Richie walked towards him and smiled down at him.

"How could I not like them back?" Richie cupped his cheeks, grinning. "Ain't that right, Eds?"

Eddie felt his face heat up. "Was it obvious?"

Richie nodded. "Very." 

"M sorry. It was dumb, wasn't it?" Eddie went to walk away but was stopped when Richies hand grabbed his wrist.

"I liked it. You babble when you're panicked. That's another way I knew." Richie kissed his cheek. 

"You just kissed me." Eddie gasped, putting his hand over his own cheek.

"Yeah. I know you aren't used to hot people liking you but when normal people like each other they kiss."

"You like me?"

"Golly, Eds, you're real slow, aren't ya?" 

Eddie shoved him off. "Don't be an asshole! I just told you I was in love with you."

"And now I'm returning the favor." Richie grinned, kissing Eddies forehead. "I'm in love with you." 

Eddie grinned, wrapping his arms around Richie, standing up on his toes. "Bend down."

"No. Work for my love."

"You're impossible." Eddie groaned.

"And you're cute when you're mad at me." Richie pulled away and leaned down, grinning when Eddies arms tightened around his side. "The note was cute."

"Then why did you throw it on the ground?"

"Because I rather have the real thing."

Eddies cheeks got redder. "Shut up, Richie."


End file.
